Math | Arthur's Anydex: The Index of Anything

Mathematics: Anything Index of Education

Note: This started as my Asian American "races in math" page, but has
been extended to include the "reform math wars"
as well. Most math reform programs are programs for the "dummies",
not the kids who study hard and memorize everything and get top SAT
scores. The problem is that they isolate precisely what makes Asian
kids succeed (drill, rote learning, memorization, single minded
pursuit of high skills and test scores) and make sure that nobody
will do it.

Another feature of this math page is a grade-level spectrum and
definition for most math concepts and a ---- appropriate ----
determination of tests or standards which have been set by committees
at levels which cannot be reasonably expected to be met by most (90%
pass rate) students.

Algebra, in the K-8 classrooms,
refers to informal explorations and understandings of symbolism. It
is beneficial to introduce the algebraic terminology (equation,
inequality, variable, etc.) in the early grades. In this way high
school students will be able to understand algebra as a natural
outgrowth of their study of various number properties.
[[Milwaukee
Milwaukee has 37th percentile mostly inner city youths, and requires
ALL to take algebra. This is a BAD idea if they can't even master
basic math.
COLLEGE BOARD TELLS DISTRICTS TO TEACH ALEBRA TO ALL
Here's Y the teaching of algebra in the US has been such a big flop.
Wall Street Journal June 16, 1998 p. A1. US books teach too many
topics over and over. Only 40% of 2nd grade, 30% of some 8th grade
books have any "new" content. Grouping by ability dropped in the 70s,
but math tracks kids into what they are sure to pass, not what they
"need". TIMSS show 4th grade arithmetic is OK. The College Board
Equity 2000 program has signed up Milwaukee and 8 other cities,
requiring them to teach algebra to all 9th and geometry to all 10th
graders. Seniors must pass algebra and math proficiency test to pass,
but nearly half, 90 of 200 seniors are retaking the tests for the 3rd
time. Lack of algebra is blamed for 100 point SAT difference, five
years ago fewer than 1/4 of Blacks and Hispanics took algebra vs.
about 1/2 of whites. Milwaukee 10th graders are at the 37th
percentile nationally. Low income students who take algebra go to
college at middle class rates. 1/3 of US students missed 20% off of
$1,250 stereo, 1/9 could plot a graph.
MPS REQUIRES PASSING ALGEBRA TEST TO REACH 10TH GRADE, FLUNKS 50%
MPS exaggerates drop out rate to
signal crisis Dennis W. Redovich Greendale WI, Letter from Leon
Todd that MPS is the only district in the nation with such a drastic
standard that Milwaukee requires ALL 9th graders to take algebra. In
the last four years only 54%, 56%, 55% and 53% in 1996-97 passed
Algebra in the 9th grade. " MPS received an award for substituting
algebra, which many failing students in all probability may never
use, for consumer or ecomonic math which employers minimaly need
students to master for most twenty first century employment."
Students that did not pass the exam were held back at the ninth
grade. "high skill jobs of the future that require algebra and
"high" academic skills simply don't exist for most graduates and
especially for poverty class people of color."
[[SAT
Percentage by race:
\doc\95\12\sat95bk.wk1
1995 Scholastic Aptitude Test Breakdown by Ethnicity
Data from the College Board
Data Entry and Analysis by Arthur Hu
Figues: Percentage taken, test score gap vs. white, SAT math score.
White Black Hisp Asian
Math Coursework Gap Gap Gap Gap
Overall 0 498 -110 388 -72 426 40
538
Algebra 97 0 498 96 -110 388 97 -73 425 94 37
535
Geometry 95 0 504 90 -109 395 94 -73 431 94 36
540
Triginometry 55 0 539 43 -106 433 42 -68 471 64 26
565
Precalculus 38 0 573 24 -104 469 32 -77 496 54 18
591
Calculus 23 0 613 12 -105 508 16 -76 537 40 13
626
Computer Math 9 10 10 13
[[US Dept of Education
\doc\web\99\13\muchmath.txt "HELPING
YOUR CHILD LEARN MATH" US DOEd We now believe that by the end of
the eighth grade, students should have mastered the fundamentals of
algebra and geometry to be ready for high school and on track for
college and the workforce.
zip36\clip\99\17\failam.txt \clip\99\17\failam.txt 9/1/99 THE
CONSPIRACY OF IGNORANCE Part 3 of 4 From today's Washington Times.
This is the third of four excerpts from Martin Gross' new book, "The
Conspiracy of Ignorance: The Failure of American Public Schools."
Luther Williams of the National Science Foundation says American schools
are backward in math. "Basic arithmetic [not algebra and geometry] is
still the staple of eighth-grade math," he laments. Almost half of public
high school grads have never taken intermediate algebra and only one in
eight have studied vital trigonometry.
[[Virginia:
http://www.pen.k12.va.us/go/Sols/math.html#GradeEight
8th grade is preparation for algebra, so algebra would be G9
NAEP - grade 8 math is different from algebra, so would be G9
%%Gambill
GAMBILL ALGEBRA METHOD \clip\99\15\gambill.txt
http://www.oregoneducation.org/math/gambill.htm ..signed up
voluntarily to take the 15-county Annual Algebra I Contest at 9:00
morning. The results of the Preliminary are the same as they have
been for the past 7 years, with my students "totally dominating,"
taking 95% of the top places.
%%Neccesary?
Bracey says most people don't
even need to know algebra.
%%Pass rate
Bishop cites high pass rates
100% Wayne Bishop's Daughters 8th grade by Texas exam
99% Aransas Pass TX (WB)
30% Texas (WB)
15% Dallas ISD (WB)
%%Race
Los Angeles Times Wednesday, December 9, 1998 ON LEARNING / RICHARD
LEE COLVIN A Call to Refocus Our Country's High Schools By RICHARD
LEE COLVIN Two-thirds of Latino and African American students have no
understanding of geometry or algebra when they graduate. In fact, the
average Latino or African American 17-year-old is about as skilled
mathematically as the average white 13-year-old. That means they are
unprepared for college or the workplace.
---------------------------------------------
\clip\97\27\minmath.txt
http://www.pressdemo.com/news/11-20/st005.html Santa Rose Press
Democrat Nov. 20, 1997 Few minorities enrolled in Santa Rosa
accelerated classes By ROBERT DIGITALE Press Democrat staff writer
Enrollments in middle school accelerated classes in Santa Rose:
Slater middle school 15% latino vs. 6% english 3% algebra.
Asians over-represented in 13 of 20 accelerated categories
Blacks under-represented in 17 ot 20 categories.
\doc\web\99\07\solrace.wk1
Virginia SOL Standards of Learning Test Results by Race
Data fromVirginia Department of Education as published in
Washington Post 5/13/99
In Virginia, Asians scored as much as 50% higher in algebra and some
other topics than whites, ev ery other subject was equal or better.
Blacks did more poorly in all subjects, with pass rates as low as 13%
in algebra. and history, much lower than traditional norm-referenced
tests. Considering the amount of writing required, the impact on
Asians seems to be minimal on this test.
Ranked by Asian - Asians better or equal than whites in all subjects
Index
Subject White Black Asian HispanicWhite Black Asian Hisp
anic
Algebra II 34% 13% 50% 26% 100% -262% 147% -
131%
Algebra I 46% 20% 61% 33% 100% -230% 133% -
139%
History from 100 49% 17% 62% 33% 100% -288% 127% -
148%
Geometry 59% 25% 67% 47% 100% -236% 114% -
126%
History to 1000 68% 38% 77% 52% 100% -179% 113% -
131%
US History 36% 12% 39% 19% 100% -300% 108% -
189%
Chemistry 60% 31% 62% 41% 100% -194% 103% -
146%
English* 77% 55% 78% 64% 100% -140% 101% -
120%
Earth Science 69% 31% 68% 51% 100% -223% -101% -
135%
Biology 81% 50% 79% 61% 100% -162% -103% -
133%
\doc\96\04\sjalgebr.wk1
San Jose Unified Algebra Pass W1.00 B-1.23 H-1.30 A1.08 O-1.06
Eastside Union W1.00 B-1.17 H-1.30 A1.10 O-1.32
Percentage of students passing Algebra in two San Jose school districts
by ethnicity
Note that Asians are half as far ahead of whites as Blacks are behind.
San Jose Unified School District ...
1991-92 1994-95 Passing
... Taking Passing Taking Passing Index
Asians 262 98% 282 94% 1.08
Whites 649 90% 793 87% 1.00
Others 36 83% 60 82% -1.06
Total 1,430 87% 1,889 80% -1.09
Blacks 52 73% 76 71% -1.23
Hispanic 431 77% 678 67% -1.30
Percent taking( 72% 86%
East Side Union High School District ...
1993-94 1994-95 Passing
Taking Passing Taking Passing Index
Asians 1,265 94% 1,680 91% 1.10
Whites 702 89% 947 83% 1.00
Total 3,067 86% 4,548 78% -1.06
Blacks 194 80% 280 71% -1.17
Hispanic 867 74% 1,595 64% -1.30
Others 39 77% 46 63% -1.32
% Taking 56% 80%
Source: San Jose Unified School District, East Side Union High School
District. based on chart in San Jose Mercury news May 18, 1995
DOWNSIDE OF 'STAND AND DELIVER' MATH PROGRAM S.J. RESULTS: AS
ENROLLMENT EXPANDS, SO DOES PERCENTAGE OF STUDENTS FLUNKING.
Rankings and index by Arthur Hu
doc\94\7\algebrar.wk1 Algebra score by courses taken, 1990 NEAP
taking algebra in Grade 8: W1.0 B-2.57 H-1.80 A2.11
test score taking algebra - W 0 B-36 H-27 A+9
Asians taking G8 math same as black taking Algebra
%%Rate
z45\clip\2000\08\testgap.txt Academe Today Friday, August 25, 2000
Girls Catch Up With Boys in Math, Report Finds, but Overall Student
Gains Have Slowed By JULIANNE BASINGER Thirteen percent of female
17-year-olds taking the test in 1999 had enrolled in pre-calculus or
calculus courses, compared with 4 percent in 1978. More than half the
young women taking the test in 1999 had taken advanced algebra, while
only 37 percent of those in 1978 had done so.
\clip\98\01\mathform.txt LOS ANGELES TIMES Jan. 5, 1996 Formulas for
Math Problems RICHARD LEE COLVIN (New math, math reform backlash
against "fantasy lunch")
http://www.math.uic.edu/~cpmp/archive9701.html This fall, the
National Assessment of Educational Progress said 17-year-olds are no
stronger in math than 20 years ago. Only six of 10 high school
seniors can compute with decimals, fractions and percentages. Fewer
than one in 10 can use beginning algebra.
%%Required
New reformers say that since algebra is a "gatekeeper" an
associated with high performance, then all students should be
required to take it. Traditionally, only a small percentage were
thought to be capable enough to master it or even need it if they
weren't going to college. Some districts and states are setting up
standards requiring algebra for all such as Minneapolis. On the plus
side, more kids are passing algebra than were even trying before. On
the other hand when 50% of kids who take it are failing, they may be
driving up dropout rates, and it's pointless to require what kids
won't or can't do.

Critics say it has resulted in plunging test
scores which have provoked parent revolts in cities across the
nation

. Problem solving inevitably ends up asking 4th graders how
to solve what traditionally were 7th grade ratio and proportion and
9th grade algebra problems by "figuring it out" rather than teaching
the skills, or waiting until they are taught. They say that students
learn more about how to write about answers than getting the right
answer, indeed, one of the most important principals is that there
isn't such as a thing as "one right answer", and students are
encouraged or required to "construct" their own methods of
computation rather than being shown how it has been done for the past
5 thousand years. Traditionalists call for a return to contents based
teaching and drill based programs like that of John Saxon for
students who are failing in math.